Friday, September 15, 2006

The J-Blogosphere has fatured many posts concering Jewish Music and what indeed makes it Jewish. In this article Michael Dorf, founder of New York City’s Knitting Factory deals with those very same issues. His answer? “There’s a broad swath of definitions.”

The Oyhoo festival which Dorf created , runs through Sunday at various New York venues, itfeatures more than 60 events including a Yiddish singalong; a hip-hop sulha, or model for peace; Jewish burlesque; a homage to Lenny Bruce, with comedians Lewis Black and Judy Gold; and a two-day conference exploring the Jewish culture and entertainment industry.The festival attempts to reach not just Jews but to heighten the general population’s awareness of the diverse styles of Jewish music. Dorf said he expected some 25,000 people to attend — “Not all of them, I hope, are Jewish,” he said.